Bag feeding apparatus



Aug. 1961 D. w. GARNETT 2,994,527

BAG FEEDING APPARATUS Original Filed June 21, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG-1. FIG.2D-

I N VEN TOR.

DONA D W. (EARN TT ATTO 1' N EYS Aug. 1, 1961 D. w. GARNETT 2,994,527

BAG FEEDING APPARATUS Original Filed June 21, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOR EYS Aug. 1, 1961 D. w. GARNETT BAG FEEDING APPARATUS Original Filed June 21, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR.

DO N2? VV. GAWT Aug. 1, 1961 D. w. GARNETT BAG FEEDING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed June 21, 1957 l NVEN'T'OR. 7AL D W. GARN DO By7 ATT NEYS Patented Aug. 1, 1961 Eta-fa 2,994,527 BAG FEEDING APPARATUS Donald W. Garnett, Grand Ledge, Mich., assignor to The Olofsson Co., Lansing, Micln, a corporation of Michrgan Original application June 21, 1957, Ser. No. 667,090. Divided and this application Feb. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 720,520

9 Claims. (Cl. 27154) The present invention relates to improved apparatus for packaging bulk merchandise such as potato chips in flexible receptacles such as bags of the plain envelope or side gusset type. The persent application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 667,090, filed June 21, 1957.

In general, the invention deals with apparatus of this sort having a sequence of provisions for insuring the presence of a supply of the bags in a stacked condition, with all open ends up; and for periodically removing the endmost bag from the stack and delivern' ig it to a conveyor for endwise travel beneath a filling device; the bag being opened during its advance and filled by mechanisms shown and described in the application identified above.

it is a general object of the invention to provide apparatus operating in the foregoing manner and including a bag supply device capable of handling a large quantity of stacked bags which are uniformly oriented open end up. The bags may be of either the plain envelope or side gusseted type, and, more particularly, of either a two-ply thickness at their sealed bottom or four-ply thickness due to a folded and sealed bottom seam. It is in the handling of bags of the last named, folded bottom sort that the invention has special merit, since the tendency of the bag stack to become unmanageable, by assuming a wedge shape on acocunt of the cumulative increase in the thickness of its bottom as compared to the sum of the thicknesses of the two ply bag tops, is effectively controlled.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a bag supply unit or device of this character which employs simple sheet metal bag section dividers to accomplish the control just referred to. They guide groups of stacked bags for travel in generally horizontal guideways toward a bag pick-off point, each divider being filled with an appropriate number of bags. These sectional dividers are advanced longitudinally toward the pick-ofi point, adjacent which they fall away from the controlled bag group, by a relatively high frequency vibration of a channeled guide means supporting the same, the action being such as to maintain the bags in a free, non-jammed relationship in the respective dividers while causing the longitudinal advance of the successive dividers as described.

Another specific object is to provide a bag supply device as described, in which the section dividers are automatically separated gravitationally to free the bags as they approach the bag pick-off point.

A further object is to provide packaging apparatus of the character described, in which the endmost bag of an advancing section is removed therefrom by an improved vacuum type picker unit. This unit includes a hollow picker tube, the interior of which is connected to a source of vacuum, and which has an improved, recessed cross sectional outline along a face thereof which engages the endmost bag of a stack, such that the endmost bag is drawn into a concave, peripherally sealed face pocket of the tube under the vacuum effective internally of the tube. Hence wax or atmospheric pressure adhesion with a succeeding bag is broken and an unfailingly successful separation of the end bag from the supply stack is insured.

Another specific object is to provide a bag picker mechanism incorporating a picker tube as described, in which the tube is pivotally mounted to swing between the pick-off point of the bag supply device to a delivery point adjacent a bag forwarding mechanism, with improved valving provisions automatically controlling the vacuum in the picker tube in response to the swinging movements of the latter. The bag is advanced by an improved, continuously operating bag feeding conveyor, in the form of endless belts of the toothed, timer type which engage opposite sides of the mouth of the bag, as illustrated and described in my copending application.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the overall layout of the apparatus, with some parts omitted in part for clarity;

FIGS. 2A, 2C and 2]) are fragmentary top plan views showing in larger scale certain component units of the plan layout of FIG. 1, namely a stacked bag supply unit, a memory wheel unit, a bag picker unit and a belt guiding and adjusting unit respectively.

FIG. 3 is an angular and elevational view of the vibratory, sectional stack type, bag supply unit of the apparatus, as viewed from line 3-3 of FIG. 1, this unit appearing in plan at the right hand end of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is in end elevation of the apparatus proper, in particular of its vacuum bag picker unit and excluding the bag supply unit of FIG. 3, as viewed from the line 4-4- of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4A is a somewhat schematic plan view showing in larger scale the structure and operation of the bag picker unit.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 2D of the drawings for a general layout of the improved vibratory bag suppply unit or mechanism 10 (FIG. 1 of the invention, this unit having an improved sectional feed feature; and an automatic vacuum bag picker mechanism 11, featuring an oscillatory vacuum picker tube 12 equipped with an improved, vertically elongated vacuum picker head 13, with a linkage 14 controlling an individual movement of said head in the swing of tube 12, and a valve device 15 controlling the application and interruption of vacuum to the head 13 in its operation.

The apparatus also comprises a continuous feed mechanism 16 of the vacuum belt type for feeding bags in a longitudinal series, as delivered by the vacuum head 13, and this feed mechanism in general comprises improved driven front and rear vacuum transmitting timing belts 17, 18, respectively, traversing flexible front and rear guide tracks 19, 20, respectively (FIG. 2D), by which the path of travel of the belts 17, 18 is controlled all as illustrated and described in my copending application, Serial No. 667,090. Other mechanism shown therein completes the opening, filling and closing of the bag.

The basic components of the apparatus, as generally outlined above, will now be described in only sufiicient further detail to permit an understanding of their operation. The invention is not particularly concerned with their specific structural details. Similarly, the drawings depicit, in the main, only general structural features and relationships, in the interest of simplicity.

Bag supply unit or magazine Referring to FIGS. 1, 2A and 3, also in part to FIG. 4A, the bag supply unit or mechanism 10 is supported on a suitable auxiliary frame plate '39 which is appropriately connected to the main frame work 40 of the apparatus, may be of a rigidly braced angle iron construction, with appropriate upright footing to support it. An upright tubular, threaded support structure 41 is carried by plate 39 to enable the vertical adjustment of the supply unit 10. Unit 10 comprises a horizontal bottom plate 42 supported by tube structure 41 for vertical adjustment and having upright fore and aft braces 43, 44 by which a pair of upright bag side guide plates 46, 47 are mounted. Plates 46 and 47 are laterally adjustable, so that flattened bags of difierent edge-to-edge widths may be accommodated.

For the purpose of the adjustment, a fixed horizontal inner rod or tube 49 is mounted on upright 44 at the rear of the feed mechanism 10, extending transversely thereof, and an outer sleeve 51 is slidably adjustable longitudinally on the tube 49, as by threaded engagement, being adapted to be secured thereon in any desired adjustment. The movable side plates 46 and 47 are carried by the sleeves 51 and 52.

An elongated horizontal floor plate 53 coacts with the side guide plates 46, 47 in defining a way or magazine along which stacked flat bags progress (in separated sections as hereinafter described); and this floor plate is vibrated at relatively high frequency by a conventional vibratory mechanism 55 of the syntron type supported on bottom plate 42, by which mechanism the plate 53 is mounted.

As indicated in FIGS. 2A and 3, the vibratory floor plate 53 is formed to provide a centrally located, flat surfaced and depressed way 57 having undercut, mutually facing side channels 59 for a purpose to be described. At its forward end, the bottom of the central way 57 is cut back at 60 to provide a forward trap opening 61 therethrough.

The reference numeral 63 designates a bag divider in the form of a simple sheet metal element of U-shaped outline (shown in dot dash line in FIG. 3) provided with upstanding, forwardly inclined front and rear walls 64 and a connecting bottom 65 which is laterally flanged outwardly at its opposite sides, as indicated at 66 (FIG. 2A), the overall width of the bottom 65 equalling the distance across the bases of the channels 59. Thus, a series of the sheet metal dividers 63, each filled with a sectional stack of the fiat bags B, uniformly oriented with mouths up, may be introduced into the bag way 57 between the side guide plates 46, i.e., 47, from the rear of the way, the flanges'66 of each divider sliding in the way channels 59 of the plate 53 of the magazine.

Vibration of the floor plate 53 by syntron unit 55 causes the bags to hug the bottom of the dividers 63 under moderate and uniform front-to-rear compression and uniform side-to-side distribution therein, while the dividers advance steadily forwardly. Use of the stack dividers 63 enables the apparatus to handle with equal efficiency and Without jamming bags of the plain bottom or folded bottom type. Unless controlled by the dividers to advance in relatively small, relatively loosely confined groups, the bags assume the shape of an unmanageable pile preventing effective further transfer thereof.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2A of the drawings, each of the bag side guide plates 46, 47 is equipped at its forward or outer end with an inwardly projecting upright stop 68. As the filled dividers 63 progress along the way 57 and reach the trap opening 61 they fall therethrough, freeing the bags therein, which continue to progress along the top of floor plate 53 to the stops 68. It is at this point that they are picked up by the automatic vacuum picker mechanism 11; and therefore the floor plate is cut away at 70 to accommodate the picker head 13 in its pick-up position.

Vacuum picker unit Particular reference should be made to FIGS. 2, 2C, 4, 4A and of the drawings. As stated above, this mechanism 11 is essentially constituted by the picker head 13, the control linkage 14, the swinging vacuum tube 12 carrying the head, and the valve mechanism 15.

The vacuum tube 12 is of inverted U-shape (FIG. 4) being fixedly mounted on an oscillatory arm 72 appropriately pivoted at 73 on one side of the machine frame work 40, and adjacent the rear thereof in reference to the direction of travel of bags through the apparatus. The arm 72 is appropriately apertured to place the same in sealed communication with the tube 12, and oscillation of the arm 72 and tube 12 is effected through a connecting rod 74 pivotally connected to the arm at 75, which rod has its opposite end pivotally connected at 76 to a rotative crank 78 (see FIG. 2C). Crank 78 is rotated by the timing belt 17 in the manner described in my above-identified application.

As shown in FIGS. 20 and 4, the pivoted leg of the inverted U-shaped vacuum tube 12 is in vertical alignment with an upright vacuum supply line 82, and a thin swingable valve plate 84 of plastic material is disposed between the oscillatory arm 72 (to which tube 12 is fixed) and the upper end of vacuum line 82. The valve plate 84 is of the generally triangular outline shown in FIG. 2C. It is individually pivoted on arm 72 at 86, and has a metal extension tab 87 fixed thereon adjacent its apex, whereby to derive its individual swinging movement to control vacuum.

Valve plate 84 is provided with an offset valve port 88 of the same diameter as tube 12, being otherwise imperforate; and it is seen by reference to FIG. 20 that in the position of the plate 84 shown therein the valve port 88 is displaced from communicative register with the vacuum tube and supply line 82. Upon counterclockwise swing of the valve plate, the valve port 88 is brought into register and vacuum is established between vacuum line 82 and the tube 12 and its associated vacuum picker head 13.

In order to operate the valve 84 its extension tab 87 is provided with an upright pin 90, which pin is alternately engageable, as it and valve plate 84 are bodily swung by oscillatory arm 72, with a fixed stop 92 carried by frame 40 and a further stop 94 pivoted on the frame by hinge 96. Engagement of pin 90 with the stop 92 swings the valve plate 84 to the vacuum-interrupt position of its port shown in FIG. 2C; opposite swing of arm 72 to engage the pin with adjustable stop 94 shifts the valve to vacuumestablish position. In the event it should be desired to operate the apparatus without feeding bags B therethrough, the stop 94 may be swung about its hinge 96 to a position in which it will not be struck by the pin 90, hence vacuum will not be applied to the picker head 13. Otherwise, the vacuum therein is under the control of valve provisions shown and described in my application, Serial No. 667,090, including a source of vacuum 111 (FIG. 4).

The picker head 13 is individually pivoted on the free end of oscillatory tube 12, i.e. coaxially of the down turned leg thereof and in vacuum communication therewith, with appropriate provisions to maintain a vacuum seal between head and tube during pivoting of the head about this axis in a way which will be described. Picker head 13 is of the improved construction shown in FIGS. 4 and 4A. It is, in the main, of a rectangular box-like shape in horizontal cross-section, being of a vertical length as great as any size of bag B to be handled. It has a special recessed picker face 98 defined by spaced triangular shoulders 99 extending the vertical length of the face, and the face recess afforded by these shoulders is vacuum sealed at the top and bottom thereof. Vertically spaced vacuum ports 100, or an equivalent vertical vacuum slot, are formed along the length of face 98 enclosed by the shoulders 99, communicating the picker face recess with its vacuum interior.

It is seen that, with the picker head 13 in its pick-01f position, shown in solid line at the right in FIG. 4A, the endmost bag B at the pick-off station is engaged by the shoulders 99, vacuum within the head 13 being eifective to draw the bag into the face recess between said shoulders, as a preliminary to removing the bag from the stack. This separates the bag edges from the chute side plates 46, 47, also breaking any wax or atmospheric adhesion of the engaged bag B with a succeeding bag and insuring unfailing and uniform stripping of the bags in the operation of the apparatus.

The linkage 14 responsible for the individual pivoting of picker head 13 in its bodily motion is comprised (see FIGS. 1 and 4A) of an arm 102 pivotally connecting the head with one end of an elongated link 104 which is slidably guided adjacent its opposite end by a guide lug 106, the link itself being pivotally mounted at 107 on an extension 40 of the frame 40. A coil spring 108 surrounds link 104, acting between the lug 106 and an enlarged end head 109 on the It is seen by reference to FIG. 4A that as the picker head 13 is bodily swung counter clockwise with vacuum tube 12 from the bag engaging position as the right, shown in solid line, to a bag delivery position at the left also shown in solid line, that the head 13 partakes of an independent pivoting relative to the tube, through the action of control linkage 14, in passing through the intermediate dotted line position. Hence at the ultimate delivery point at the right hand end of the vacuum timer belt 18 the adjacent end of the delivered bag is properly curled against belt 18, to be picked up and advanced by that belt. As the delivery point is reached, the vacuum in tube 12 and picker head 13 is interrupted by the valve plate 84, in the manner described.

A leaf spring 110 (FIG. 20) on end extension 20' of belt guide is located just below track 20, being supported by an extension 40 on main frame 40 (FIG. 1). In order that the bag transfer from picker head 13 to the correct positon on timer belt 18 may be made accurately, linkage 14 is so designed that the forward longitudinal motion of picker head '13 effectively matches the forward motion of the timer belt during the transfer portion of the cycle. T o prevent the fiexible bag from being drawn prematurely by vacuum to the timer belt, the leaf spring 110 extends forward of the timer belt 18 holding the bag clear of the latter. When picker tube 12 nears the position at which transfer of the bag is required it contacts a cam portion 111 of leaf spring 110, quickly depressing the same and thus allowing bag B to come in contact with timer belt 18 for accurately positioned transfer.

In the operation of the apparatus, the bag manifold or supply device '10 insures the presence of bags B for pickoff by the head 13 of the bag picker unit 11, the sheet metal dividers 63 subdividing the groups of bags and its rapid vibratory action advancing the groups in a well distributed Way forwardly to the pick-off point, at which the divider falls through the forward opening 60 in the magazine floor 53.

Picker head 13 engages the endmost bag under substantial pressure, and thus vacuum-separates that bag from the remainder of the stack. The head swings the bag to a delivery point adjacent rear vacuum belt 18, whereupon the vacuum in the head is cut off and the belt 18 assumes control, gripping the bag B.

The bag thus proceeds between the belts 17, 18, by which it is gradually spread at its mouth, is filled, closed, etc., by the structure of my application described above.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A device to supply bags or like flat articles by forwarding the same in upright position to a delivery point, comprising a generally horizontally disposed support having a longitudinal way extending toward said delivery point, means to vibrate said support, and sectional dividers each receiving a stack of said articles in a uniformly oriented, upright positon for advance toward said delivery point upon vibration of said support, said way having undercut side edges and said dividers being of U-shaped outline, having a bottom member received beneath said undercut edges to positively guide the dividers, and said support having a recess adjacent said delivery point through which said dividers drop in approaching said point.

2. Apparatus for feeding bags or. like flat articles from a pickup point to a delivery point, comprising a supply device having a generally horizontal support, means to guide a stack of said articles for movement on and along said support to said pickup point, including a plurality of individual dividers each having front and rear members in fixed relation to one another between which said articles are adapted to be arranged and confined in stacked groups and means to automatically cause separation of said dividers from said groups in traveling to said pickup point, and means to vibrate said support at high frequency to cause said travel.

3. Apparatus for feeding bags or like flat articles from a pickup point to a delivery point, comprising a supply device having a generally horizontal support, means to guide a stack of said articles for movement on and along said support to said pickup point, including a plurality of individual dividers each having front and rear members in fixed relation to one another between which said articles are adapted to be arranged and confined in stacked groups, means to automatically cause separation of said dividers from said groups in traveling to said pickup point, and means to temporarily restrain an end-most article at said pickup point, and means to vibrate said support at high frequency to cause said travel.

4. Apparatus for feeding bags or like flat articles from a pickup point to a delivery point, comprising a supply device having a generally horizontal support, means to guide a stack of said articles for movement on and along said support to said pickup point, including a plurality of individual dividers between which said articles are adapted to be arranged in stacked groups, means to automatically cause separation of said dividers from said groups in traveling to said .pickup point, and means to temporarily restrain an end-most article at said pickup point, and means to vibrate said support at high frequency to cause said travel, an oscillatory hollow picker head in communication with a source of vacuum and adapted to engage under vacuum and remove an article from said stack, means to oscillate said picker head bodily between said pickup and delivery points to so engage and remove articles from the stack at the former and deliver the same at the latter, means to control the application of vacuum to said picker head at said pickup point and interruption of said vacuum at said delivery point, and means to rotate said picker head relative to said oscillating means during said bodily movement between said points.

5. The combination of a support having means to guide bags or like flat articles in an upright stacked position, by which support said articles are guided for longitudinal advance thereon and therealong in a direction normal to their side surfaces and toward a delivery point, and means to vibrate said support to effect said advance, said support having a flat, generally horizontal article supporting surface, said guide means comprising elongated upright members between which said articles are disposed and means for adjusting said members laterally relative to one another above said supporting surface.

6. The combination of a generally horizontal support having means to guide bags or like flat articles in an upright stacked position by which support said articles are guided for longitudinal advance thereon and therealong toward a delivery point, and means to vibrate said support to effect said advance, said guide means comprising individual dividers in each of which subdivisional stacks of said articles are disposed.

7. The combination of a generally horizontal support having means to guide bags or like flat articles in an upright stacked position by which support said articles are guided for longitudinal advance thereon and therealong in a direction normal to their side surfaces and toward a delivery point, and means to vibrate said support to effect said advance, said guide means comprising individual dividers each having upright members fixedly connected to and spaced from one another in the direction of said advance between which subdivisional stacks of said articles are disposed side by side.

8. A device to supply bags or like flat articles by forwarding the same in upright position to a delivery point, comprising a generally horizontally disposed sup port by which said articles are supported for movement thereon and therealong, said support having a longitudinal way formed therein and extending toward said delivery point, means to vibrate said support, and sectional dividers guided laterally by said way and each having upright members fixedly connected to one another between which a stack of said articles is received and confined in a uniformly oriented, upright position for advance toward said delivery point upon vibration of said support.

9. A device to supply bags or like flat articles by forwarding the same in upright position to a delivery point, compirsing a generally horizontally disposed support by which said articles are supported for movement thereon and therealong, said support having a longitudinal way recessed therein and extending toward said delivery point,

8 means to vibrate said support, and sectional dividers guided laterally by said way and each having upright members fixedly connected to one another between which a stack of said articles is received and confined in a uniformly oriented, upright position for advance toward said delivery point upon vibration of said support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 420,194 Gauchot Jan. 28, 1890 963,170 Parker July 5, 1910 1,040,025 Schlesinger Oct. 1, 1912 1,048,713 Lorenz Dec. 31, 1912 1,452,867 Briggs Apr. 24, 1923 1,501,582 Cheshire July 15, 1924 2,016,711 Ford Oct. 8, 1935 2,161,124 Babicz June 6, 1939 2,178,783 Egger Nov. 7, 1939 2,501,553 Waller et al Mar. 21, 1950 2,631,851 Jones Mar. 17, 1953 2,642,285 Baker et al June 16, 1953 

